Nicholas II and the Khodynka Tragedy: A Coronation Cursed

In May 1896, the coronation of Tsar Nicholas II began in blood. This episode goes deep into the Khodynka Field disaster — the stampede that killed nearly 1,400 people and scarred the young tsar's reign. We explore the chaotic planning by Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, the role of Moscow's governor-general, the inadequate distribution of commemorative cups and handkerchiefs, and the immediate cover-up. Lucas and Luna discuss Nicholas's fateful decision to attend a ball at the French embassy that night instead of visiting the wounded, the reaction of his cousin Kaiser Wilhelm II, and how the tragedy set a tone of incompetence and indifference that haunted the monarchy. We also touch on the long-term psychological effects on Nicholas, the whispers of a 'cursed' reign, and how the disaster foreshadowed the revolution to come. Drawing on accounts from foreign diplomats, Russian memoirists, and later historians, this is a focused look at a single event that crystallized the Romanovs' disconnect from their people. #Khodynka #NicholasII #Romanovs #Coronation #Tsar #RussianHistory #Moscow #GrandDukeSergei #ImperialRussia #Stampede #Tragedy #1890s #FexingoHistory #HistoryPodcast #EasternEurope #19thCentury #Disaster #RomanovDynasty Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo